Caption: The Neill family – Julie, Callaway, Carter and Eric – all pitch in to keep the Neill and Sons Dairy humming. , Credit: Frank Morris/Harvest Public Media
Image by: Frank Morris/Harvest Public Media 
The Neill family – Julie, Callaway, Carter and Eric – all pitch in to keep the Neill and Sons Dairy humming.  

A plot in the middle

From: Harvest Public Media Group
Series: Farmer of the Future
Length: 04:53

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The number of very small farms and very large farms have increased dramatically in the last few years, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show, at the expense of medium-sized, self-sustaining family farms. So does that mean the Farmer of the Future will be either the benefactor of an enormous family operation, or the owner of a marginal hobby, or life-style operation? Not necessarily. A few people are actually finding ways to break into mid-level production agriculture. Read the full description.

2012_dairy_farm_045_small Two basic types of farms are proliferating in the United States, very big, and very small. But medium-sized, self-sustaining family farms, have declined dramatically.
So does that mean the Farmer of the Future be either the benefactor of an enormous family operation, or the owner of a life-style farm? Not necessarily. A few people are finding ways to break into mid-level production agriculture. Wrapping up Harvest Public Media’s weeklong series on the “Farmer of the Future,” Frank Morris spoke to one of them.

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Piece Description

Two basic types of farms are proliferating in the United States, very big, and very small. But medium-sized, self-sustaining family farms, have declined dramatically.
So does that mean the Farmer of the Future be either the benefactor of an enormous family operation, or the owner of a life-style farm? Not necessarily. A few people are finding ways to break into mid-level production agriculture. Wrapping up Harvest Public Media’s weeklong series on the “Farmer of the Future,” Frank Morris spoke to one of them.